I finally have some finishes to show you! Over the next couple of days I'm going to share projects that I will be teaching as classes at Patchfinders in Poynton. The shop has moved premises and we are having our opening day tomorrow Tuesday September 1st. There are giveaway goodies too so come by if you can!

The first finish I have to share is this cute quilt I designed:

The quilt is perfect for children or artists! I quilted it with 12 weight Aurifil thread, to get those fun 'drawn' lines and to add texture to the pencils.

I really enjoyed making this quilt and hope others will too! My kids are absolutely in love with it and have asked that we can keep it after it's been displayed in the shop. The true seal of approval :)

The white Widescreen by Carolyn Friedlander fabric makes a great background and the black seemed perfect for the backing and binding:

I will be teaching my Coloured Pencils Quilt class on Friday 9th October, all the details of my classes will be posted HERE. See the Patchfinders website for a list of all the classes and how to book.

The package also came with all these sweet extras - thank you Sunny Day Supply :)

I'm venturing into a little dress making, which I might share depending on the results!! I have a full on hatred for making bias binding so I decided to get some from So Biased - who has fabulous fabric taste and stocks binding made from beautiful prints! She has single and double fold, so you can get some for quilt making too.

Then I am incredibly grateful to Carrie Bloomston who sent me this gorgeous bundle of her new collection Story because I was one of the winners of her IG giveaway.

There are fabulous text prints and a great mix of colours, here are some of my favourites:

Check out the STORY Lookbook here for all kinds of gorgeous inspiration. There is already a plan brewing in my mind as to what to use these for!

If you aren't familiar with Carrie and her work take a look at her website - I think she does all she does so well and I enjoy her whole ethos, like her annual unplugging.

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend, and the Bank Holiday for those in the UK :)

The practice of putting the paper and fabric together and stitching up patterns with perfect points is so satisfying. It's not the fastest method but it is the most rewarding for me. Smaller projects can be done quickly though, like this adorable doughnut pincushion kit I got from Sew & Quilt.

The kit contains pre-cut fabric squares in vintage prints, all the paper pieces you need, the pattern and instructions. Sew & Quilt stocks the most gorgeous fabric so you know you will have a cute pincushion!

I used some wooden buttons to finish it, the gingham and dots suit the 30's repro style of the fabrics perfectly!

Sew & Quilt have recently added even more paper pieces, making it easier and more fun to create fabulous epp projects! Honestly I want to buy everything in the shop! Pop over to check it out and stayed tuned for an upcoming giveaway :)

Let's have a little back to school giveaway! I feel like September is always a great time for planning and deciding what projects to work on for the upcoming months. I was one of those kids at school that loved having timetables and using highlighters, I covered all my exercise books and stationery is still one of my favourite things.

The newly released Modern Background - Paper by Zen Chic for Moda is perfect for paper lovers and the low volume prints are gorgeous. All of the prints are versatile backgrounds and blenders. It's not often I see a range where I know I can easily separate prints to use in different projects. I think Zen Chic have done a fabulous job building a usable and beautiful collection.

There are some great subtle text and graphic prints, though I think these two bolder prints are my favourites:

You have four possible chances to win, please leave a separate comment for each...

1. Tell me your favourite thing about September, anything you like!

2. Sign up for the Green Fairy newsletter, click here to subscribe or let me know if you already receive it (optional entry)

3. Follow my blog or let me know you already do. You can follow in a reader using the buttons up there on the right sidebar or click here to subscribe to Charm About You by email (optional entry)4. Spread the news - share this giveaway on facebook, instagram, blog, twitter, pinterest etc - then leave a comment letting me know how you shared (optional entry)The giveaway is open internationally and ends 3rd September 2015. A winner will chosen by random.org.Pleaseplease leave your email address in the comment e.g. mslaptop (at) ipreferpens (dot) com - unless you are totally sure you are not a no reply blogger!!

Good luck :)

p.s. I usually do respond to comments but forgive me that I can't always reply during giveaways

There's an awful lot going on in my world. I feel like doing a Bill and Ted, shouting 'excellent!' and playing air guitar... well I would if the kids hadn't totally worn me out ;)

I have a lot of upcoming sewing related things and plenty to do, so I have been trying to crack on with getting my WIPs done. First 'to sew' on my list is my Star Crossed Quilt. I had my pieces already all cut out and sitting on my desk and today was spent chain piecing:

This is a great pattern and should come together quickly.

I also finished up an Etsy commission this week. It was a custom order for a very special and personal embroidered cushion, I didn't ask permission to share so here's a peek of part of the embroidery:

Having seen the book all over social media I thought I had an idea of what it would be like but I was blown away. This book is STUNNING. I haven't really had time to sit and digest it yet but even a quick flick through impressed me. The colours and fabrics are beautiful and the blocks are fabulous. And hello?!! A block with my name! If you don't have a copy I would highly recommend buying one or seeing if it's available at your local library.

I am thrilled to be part of the upcoming Sew-Along with the Fat Quarter Shop and Gnome Angel as a guest blogger. I will be sharing my blocks and, most likely, either hand sewing or English Paper Piecing them.

You can read all the details here and discover all the guest bloggers here - I'm in amazing company and it's really worth checking out everyone's blogs and social media for inspiration. There is also a very active facebook group; it's supportive, inspiring and fun to see where everyone is from!

The Sew-Along will begin 28th September so there's still plenty of time to get a copy of the book and join in.

Of course a new Sew-Along was a good excuse to get some more fabric so here's what I got...

These are going to be my basis for the colour theme, I will throw more colours in but I'm going to try and use these in most of the blocks - at least that's the current plan!

I have a heap of repro 30s fabrics that I'm using for my green tea and sweet beans quilt so I will likely use some of those but I really want a mix of modern and repro. I'm doing the same with my gtsb but this time I will use more modern, mostly Cotton and Steel, fabrics. Based on that I ordered these beauties:

Undoubtedly this will be an eclectic mix of fabrics but then that's kind of become my style and I'm happy with it! My general way of working is to look at each block and decide on the fabrics as I go along, rather than an overall scheme or specific plan, then find a way to pull it all together at the end ;)

And that's about all the planning I have done. There are some great resources on the facebook group and fabulous ideas for prep and organisation. I still need to decide the best system for me but I'm sure a folder and plastic wallets will be involved.

I'm excited to get started!

Are you joining in or have you ever done a sampler quilt like this? Do those of you that did the original Farmer's Wife have any tips?

Sometimes I buy fabric with intention and then other times just because! Last week was a little mix of both...

At Patchfinders I got some Acid Green, Bella Solids because I can't resist that gorgeous colour and Coquette Collection by Art Gallery Fabrics, which I am thinking might be backing for my gtsb quilt. I also stocked up on glue refills (turned out I had some already but I know I will use them!) and another Styla water soluble pen.

Today I met up with my cousin from America, Jackie. We had a lovely lunch at my mums house and I got to take her to Patchfinders so she could see where I work and also buy some fabric.

Jackie is staying with my Dad's cousin who also very kindly brought me a treat today, these incredible vintage patterns. They belonged to my Great Aunt. I haven't yet checked all the pieces are complete, though I suspect they are. I need to try some very basic dress making before I can even attempt these! I shall just admire the pretty illustrations for now:

At the weekend I got my hair did. Very pleased with it! It is so much faster to dry :)

I have made some progress on my Bee A Brit Stingy row for Nicky, I'm making Castle Walls blocks from the Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop for Quilters. The kids keep interrupting me though so I'm hoping to have them finished tonight.

If you're looking for charm packs Green Fairy Quilts are currently having a brilliant sale and all charm packs are only $5.75-$6.89, be quick though the offer ends tonight! (17/8/15)

I hope your week is off to a good start :)

linking up a day late to Molli Sparkles (who is having a giveaway this week!)

The best feeling when I'm sewing is loving the process. Enjoying each stitch, seeing my work come together and loving the result. Sewing satisfies me for different reasons and I enjoy machine projects but hand sewing is another level for me. It has a comfort and calm to it, my hands working away while my mind relaxes. It feels so good to get back to working on my green tea and sweet beans quilt.

I finished the appliqué on this Berry Basket:

And I hand pieced the first Flower Block:

The other two are cut out and ready to go, I couldn't resist this adorable cat: